


The Promise

by yourmothersmeatloaf



Series: Pigs on the Wing [3]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, M/M, slow slow slow slow slow burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:41:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25928329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourmothersmeatloaf/pseuds/yourmothersmeatloaf
Summary: Alright so this is mainly based around Sozin's Comet Pt. 4 and the three part comic series The Promise about the Avatar Universe.Aang is distanced from everyone, and upon hearing troubling news about the Harmony Restoration Movement, has to make some hard decisions about a promise he once made.
Relationships: Aang/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Pigs on the Wing [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1823776
Comments: 2
Kudos: 40





	The Promise

Aang sat inside the Royal Palace in the Fire Nation. He was meditating against the wall, willing himself to centre before he had to confront the, well, three nations. His heart ached. He felt the light weight of his traditional robes and heavier pressure of his necklace lay against his body. They felt both warm and sad to him. There was nothing left of his people and he will never not feel responsible.  
He opened his eyes as he felt Zuko approach him, who was also wearing the traditional clothing of his position. He gave his friend a small smile. Things hadn’t been uncomfortable between them since the beach house, they just silently came to an agreement to not talk about it. Had Aang’s feelings changed at all? He wasn’t sure. So much was happening lately. Zuko’s remark about having more important things going on when it came to his feelings about Katara hurt less with more understanding. Or maybe it was just because he felt less for Katara.  
“I can’t believe a year ago my purpose in life was hunting you down, and now…” Zuko trailed off.  
“Now we’re friends,” Aang finished. Zuko smiled down at him and offered him a hand to stand. Aang accepted and allowed him to pull him up.  
“Yeah, we are friends.”  
“I can’t believe a year ago I was still frozen in a block of ice. The world’s so different now.”  
Things were different, but more than that, so were they. Zuko couldn’t believe how much Aang had grown within only the span of a year. He got to watch that progress, as every time he confronted the young Avatar he never knew what he was getting into.  
“And it’s gonna be even more different,” Zuko put his hands on Aang shoulders, “when we build it together.”  
They shared another smile, and Zuko pulled him in for a hug which Aang accepted warmly.  
Zuko stepped outside to address the crowd, with Aang closely in tow. He was about to complete his evolution. Scorned Child; Banished Prince; Beloved Son; Outlaw; Firelord.

-

It was only about a month or so later in Ba Sing Se when the lot of them came together for tea at the Jasmine Dragon. When Zuko arrived he saw his uncle again for the first time since before he battled his sister and half his family, well, what was left of his family was put away. He became incredibly emotional. His uncle hadn’t noticed him yet, but this didn’t stop the teen from throwing his arms around the old man. Iroh didn’t even jump, but just placed his hand over where Zuko’s clasped themselves.  
“Hello, Zuko,” Iroh turned to return the hug. “It is such a pleasure to see you well.”  
“Uncle, you all did so well, taking back the capital,” he praised.  
“Yes, well, the power really comes from--” Iroh was cut off by noisy patrons running through the door.  
“Zuko!” Sokka exclaimed. He and Aang were actually running at him. Aang propelled himself into his arms for a tight hug, despite having seen him a few days earlier, which Zuko reacted to just a bit late due to his own shock at the gesture. Just as he was about to wrap his arms around Aang, the boy pulled away. He was then quickly swamped by the rest of their group. He felt so full seeing them all. He couldn’t believe they’d all made it through everything virtually unscathed. He was beyond thankful.  
They sat at a large corner table and Zuko set off to brew some tea.  
Aang discussed what Sokka and Katara had been up to since he saw them last. He’d been off to help rebuild the Earth Kingdom, while his friends had returned home to help rebuild their community. He’d seen them briefly on business down at the South Pole, but it was hardly enough time. He wasn’t sure what the hardest part of the transition had been for him. It was bizarre having no clear cut goals anymore and having to carve the way for himself, no longer being led by destiny. It was also really sad no longer going everywhere with Sokka, Katara and Toph. It was lonely. He missed his chosen family. Luckily they’d be there for some time in Ba Sing Se to work out some business between the Earth King and Fire Lord Zuko, and Sokka and Katara agreed to stay. It’d be just like old times!  
Sokka then removed himself from the group to gain better vantage so he could paint a picture of them to, quote; capture the moment. Zuko then came back with the tea. Iroh took a sip and commended the boy for improving his skills. The lot of them stayed and caught up and joked with each other for a while before Aang decided he needed some fresh air. He was so overwhelmed with love for his family.  
He stood outside staring out over the city. It was beautiful. It was free. Free not only from the Fire Nation but as well from the Ba Sing Se it used to be. He took a moment to mourn the passing of time. His moment was interrupted by a presence to his left. He looked up to meet Zuko’s amber eyes. Feelings stirred in him he hadn’t felt in some time.  
“Hey, you okay?” Zuko asked.  
“Yeah, I’m great,” Aang answered honestly.  
Zuko joined in looking over the city and placed his hands on the railing. Aang placed his beside Zuko’s and slowly inched his left hand over until it slightly overlapped his. Zuko looked down at this, his expression unreadable. He turned to face Aang, who stared up at him with open and honest eyes. Zuko cupped his face in his hand. Aang leaned into the touch then moved to kiss Zuko.  
Zuko pulled away. He couldn’t do it. He wasn’t sure why. He didn’t know what he was feeling. All at once Aang’s senses came back to him. The smell of tea and bakery overwhelmed him, the cool air surrounding him, chilling his skin. His body all of a sudden felt very heavy.  
“Oh, I…” He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck.  
“No, Aang, it’s just…” Zuko sighed, turning away again. “You don’t understand.”  
“You’re right, I don’t.”  
“It’s just things are so different now. We’re different now.” Aang turned away from his words, not wanting to hear them. “We have so much to be doing. I just don’t think now is the time. I mean, do you?”  
Obviously, he felt as though it was. He wouldn’t have tried otherwise.  
“Okay,” Aang said.  
“I’m sorry,” Zuko offered genuinely.  
“Yeah, me, too.”  
The older of the two turned from the other and shook his head.  
“I don’t want things to be weird, Aang. I need you to know I love you. I really do. Maybe in the future we could--” When Zuko turned back towards Aang, he was gone. He yelled and punched fire into the air. “Why?”

-

In a few hours time, the group had found themselves flying out on Appa. It was once more like the good old days. They were laughing and joking, bothering each other. Fireworks burst above them. The Earth Kingdom was celebrating the agreement the Earth King, Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko had come to, to remove the colonies out of the Earth Kingdom. They named it the Harmony Restoration Movement.  
“Sounds like the Earth King just announced the Restoration Act!” Aang exclaimed happily upon hearing the cheers from the streets.  
“Wanna know what fireworks look like to me?” Toph asked Sokka.  
“Sure?” He asked skeptically.  
“Okay, close your eyes!” Once he did she got right in his ear and shouted, “Boom!”  
Sokka was shocked to say the least and Toph seemed to take enjoyment out of his anguish. Katara made her way to Toph and wrapped her in a hug.  
“Oh, Toph, don’t be such a grump! You’re out with friends on a beautiful night, celebrating the fact that we saved the world!”   
“True.”  
“You, too, your new Majesty Fire Lord, sir!” Aang laughed, “Turn that frown upside down! It’s happy time!”  
Zuko didn’t even acknowledge that he’d been spoken to. Panic ran through Aang’s head that it was all about to come to light. The only comfort in his rejection was that no one else knew about it. He also hated the idea of Zuko being angry with him.  
“Zuko?” He pushed.  
“I visited my father in prison the other day,” his tone was somber. “I’ve been meaning to ask you for a favor, Aang.”  
“Sure. Anything,” Aang was shocked. He looked around the group nervously.  
“If you ever see me turning into my father, I need you to end me.”  
“What?!”  
“Even now, after everything, my family’s legacy is still a part of me, that’s why it’s my duty to heal the scars that the Fire Nation has left on the world. But the Fire Lord’s throne comes with many pressures, and if I’m honest with myself I need a safety net. That’s what I need you to be, Aang, the safety net.”  
Aang was angry. How could he be saying that? How could he ask him that? He didn’t even kill Ozai who was truly evil through and through. Impossible.  
“Zuko, you are not your dad! You’re my friend! How could you--”  
“As your friend I’m asking you, if you ever see me go bad, end me. Promise me, Aang.”  
When Zuko was done yelling, Aang looked around at the shocked and sad faces of their friends. Katara nodded at him, urging him to agree. He looked to the others to see if they agreed with her, but they all looked away. They didn’t argue but didn’t seem to want to take part in the decision to go through with it, either. Aang looked down and the large weight of sadness and responsibility rushed over him.  
“Fine. I promise.”  
Below them, the celebration continued but the group didn’t feel very festive anymore. They remained in silence, basking in the sticky pool of emotions swirling through them. Not even Sokka had anything to say, for once.  
“Maybe we should land,” Toph finally suggested.  
“Yeah, maybe you’re right.” Aang agreed.

-

A year had passed, Aang not seeing the group of friends for longer than a day at a time. He had so much work to do. The world was prospering, but he was not. He felt so isolated. He felt as though he had no one, but did not want to bother his friends because they were all doing important things, too.  
Sokka was becoming chief of the Southern Water Tribe, and Katara was there, too, teaching waterbending. Toph recently opened a metal bending academy. He hadn’t seen Zuko since the beginning of the Restoration Act.  
He had some down time for the first time in awhile. He decided to visit the Jasmine Dragon. He directed Appa in the direction of Ba Sing Se.  
He entered and found Iroh serving tea to people. Aang smiled at the old man as he sang cheerful tunes and praised their decisions in their orders. He took a seat at a table and waited. When Iroh noticed him he put the tea down and bowed in greeting.  
“Avatar Aang.”  
“Please, you don’t need to bow to me,” Aang held his hand up with a smile.  
“Ah, yes, but what brings you here, young Avatar?” Iroh sat across from him.  
“Honestly, I’m not sure. I have time for the first time in a long time, and nowhere felt right.” Aang looked down. “I was hoping maybe you could serve some tea and that famous Uncle Iroh Advice that Zuko’s always talking about. Uh, please?”  
Iroh smiled at the boy and reached for the tea pot. He poured them both a cup of tea and called to an employee that he’d be taking a break. It was amazing how kind Iroh was and generous with his time he was, as well, Aang noted.  
“I sense great sadness in you, Aang. Why would a boy who saved the world so shortly ago be feeling so down?”  
“Honestly, this is the first time not having a home has been getting to me. It was easier to ignore the absence of my people when I could travel everywhere with my chosen family. But it’s been so long and my head is always spinning, that I don’t feel I belong anywhere anymore, if that makes sense.”  
Iroh nodded solemnly. “The loss of the Air Nomads is a tragedy the world was too soon to forget. The pain is always going to visit you, Aang, but you cannot let it live there. Your chosen family is always your family. You just need to go to them.”  
“Why go there when no one has reached out to me? I understand they all have business to take care of, and it’s usually far out of the way, but there has never been a single letter for me in the Earth King’s palace whenever I’ve gone. It’s been an entire year! Zuko is the only one I have actual business with regularly, moving the colonies out of the Earth Kingdom, and he only sends senators now!” Aang let the anger simmer down before he looked back at Iroh. “Why doesn’t he show up?”  
Iroh gave a gloomy look, “Sometimes my nephew can withdraw into himself. Usually when he is struggling with the pull of right and wrong and when the war within him is allconsuming.”  
“Well, what could he be struggling with? The Harmony Restoration Movement? Because we still have his full cooperation and--” He stopped when Iroh was just staring at him as though he missed something. ‘Eh...what?”  
“Young Avatar, you may not be aware I am aware, but when you disappeared before the comet, your friends, my nephew included, came to find me at the base camp of the White Lotus.” Aang gave a concerned look, almost not wanting to know what came next. “When my nephew and I were catching up, despite the intense time pressure, he happened to tell me about whatever was, or rather whatever was not happening between you and him.”  
As far as Aang knew, this was the first outside person to know about their little thing. He feared the reaction though he supposed he was lucky it was Iroh and not anyone else.  
“Well,” Iroh continued, “It has been a large obstacle for him to overcome, at no fault of your own, of course. He is a complicated man, to say the least.”  
“What did he tell you?” Was all Aang could push out. He wasn’t sure if he was excited to hear about what Zuko had to say about him or if he was dreading it. Maybe a bit of both. Iroh looked down, his face expressing difficulty on whether or not to proceed.  
“He told me about how you had a moment at the old beach house,” he smiled fondly, seemingly reliving his times there. “He told me he was confused, and wanted to know how to proceed. sI told him to listen to himself, and to ask himself what he truly feels and wants. Conflicts of the heart and soul are not easy to overcome.”  
“He doesn’t feel for me that way, does he?”  
“Like I said, Aang, my nephew is a complicated man. I cannot offer you any wisdom he is not sure of himself. The only thing I can suggest is that perhaps it is best to move on until he has a better understanding of what is happening within himself.”  
Aang finished his tea, stood and bowed to Iroh.  
“Thank you very much for listening and offering your wisdom, Iroh.”  
“It is always my pleasure, Avatar Aang.”  
Aang left the Jasmine Dragon and pondered over what his next move would be. It became overwhelming to him that he should head to the Fire Nation. Iroh’s words rang out in his head ‘it is best to move on’ as he directed Appa out west. It took a while to get there, he would have to set up camp for the night. He and Appa had some good conversations before deciding to stop at the edge of the Fire Nation for camp. Appa immediately rolled onto his side, having flown for longer than what was comfortable for him. Except Aang heard arguing nearby and his Avatar senses started tingling. He flew to where the noise seemed to be originating from. To his shock, he seemed to be hearing...Sokka!  
He flew over excitedly, to see Katara and Sokka arguing with Fire Nation soldiers in front of scared looking citizens. Uh, oh. He landed beside the group of people.  
“Aang!” Katara yelled, running to hug him.  
“Thank goodness you’re here, Aang,” Sokka scowled.  
While Aang was happy to intervene in whatever was happening, he still felt bitter that his friends were happy to see him now, but hadn’t bothered reaching out before.  
“What is going on here?” Aang demanded.  
“These colonials must leave,” a soldier shouted.  
“What? No! They’re all to return to their homeland! What are you talking about?”  
“By order of Fire Lord Zuko, all colonials must return to where they came from!”  
“What?” Aang was incredulous.  
“The Fire Lord had officially withdrawn his support of the Harmony Restoration Movement!”  
Aang, Katara and Sokka all shared a grave look. This time the words that rang through his head were those of Zuko and himself.  
‘If you ever see me go bad, end me. Promise me, Aang.’  
‘Fine. I promise.’  
Why would he make such a promise? Had he had too much faith in Zuko? No, there had to be an answer, there had to be a way to work it out. There had to be reasons and there had to be a solution.  
The group of them made their way over to Appa, who was already sleeping.  
“Appa’s exhausted, we’re going to have to wait until he’s had some rest.”  
“Okay, Aang,” Sokka said while Katara just nodded.  
Despite having not seen each other in a year, they just worked in silence setting up camp. None of them had much to say, as all they could really talk about at the moment was Zuko and what to do with him. And no one really wanted to say much about that.

-

The situation between Zuko and the Earth King escalated to a point where the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom were marching towards each other in battle. Fire Lord Zuko would not allow the lives and homes of these people to be broken up any longer, while the Earth King wanted the scars of the Fire Nation out of his kingdom.  
As the men charged each other, Aang surged with such white hot anger. Had no one learned nothing from what they’d just been through? Finally, he located Zuko sitting atop a Fire Rhino. He looked horrible. His cheeks were sunken in and the bags under his eyes had bags as well. It looked like he hadn’t slept in many weeks, or maybe even months. Aang entered the Avatar state and floated above Zuko. The Fire Lord shielded his face from the whipping air with his arms as he turned away.  
“The Harmony Restoration Movement was such a simple plan!” The multiple voices haunted Zuko much like his father only a little over a year ago. “Why couldn’t you just follow through?!”  
Just then Katara bended her way up to Aang, absolutely snatching him out of the air.  
“Aang, snap out of it!” She implored. “You have to be sure that is the right decision, you cannot make it out of anger!”  
“But all those people are going to kill each other!” He snapped.  
“Then let me worry about them, go find a quiet place and figure this out. Then whatever decision you make, we’ll support you. Even if it means you have to fulfill your promise.”  
Aang took off to a not too distant cliff and encased himself in stone. There he contacted Avatar Roku. To his shock and disgust Roku advised him to kill Zuko in the clearest words he’d ever received from his past lives.  
Down below back at the colony, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Suki and many of his friends were trying to stop the armies from attacking one another. He burst through the stone, letting off a beam of light very similar to that when he emerged from the iceberg. It caught the attention of all down below, ceasing the fight.  
The light made Katara and Sokka emotional, recalling them to the day their lives really began. When they were just kids at the Southern Water Tribe with no greater purpose than to survive. The light made Zuko emotional, as well. He stared, wide eyed, realizing there was likely Holy Hell for him to pay in the upcoming moments.  
Aang emerged in the Avatar state, wrapped in a bubble identical to that of when he fought Ozai. Engulfed in air, surrounded by water, earth and fire. He approached Zuko, images of Sozin’s Comet flashing across his vision.  
“Aang, I know how this looks!” Zuko called out, his voice pleading. “But I know in my heart--” He sighed, “None of that matters, does it? I’m doing exactly what my father would have done.”  
Aang bended a large trench between the two armies. Zuko stood at the edge of it and in a true Avatar Kyoshi, Chin the Conqueror fashion, the ground beneath his feet gave way and he began plummeting. The Earth General reached and yelled out for Zuko.  
“Aang, I don’t--” Zuko cried.  
Aang caught Zuko by his wrist and pulled him upwards. He placed him roughly on the ground as his friends all caught up to them and surrounded Aang. At some point while Aang was gone the Earth King had showed up. Perfect. Aang would show him why he was wrong for going to war with Zuko. He gestured to the rag tag team behind him.  
“Earth King, look at who you’re fighting! The fire nation, yes,” he gestured to a colonial, “but also the Earth Kingdom,” he gestured to an Earth Kingdom citizen who lived in the colony, “water tribe,” this time to Katara, “and now, Air Nomad. This is who stands against your army. And that of the Fire Nation, too. You are not just fighting a colony, but a whole new type of world.”  
The Earth King looked serious. He looked around to the people fighting, the wounded, emotionally and physically. Then he looked to the colonials.  
“I need to see what I-- What I… I just need to see.” He said, as he approached the gates.  
Zuko was slowly lifting himself off the ground. Hands on knees to support himself, he looked furious.  
“Zuko…?” Aang asked carefully.  
“So...I was right then? All along...my decision was right?” Zuko crumbled into the ground, face first. He fell unconscious.  
“Zuko!” Aang yelled, as he went to help his friend. He demanded help, which came easily with the Fire Nation Army there. They got him somewhere where he could be examined and treated, and Aang went with them leaving the summing up of the situation to the rest of his friends.  
He decided to take the time to meditate and maybe catch up with Roku before his friend woke.  
He went to the roof of the Iroh’s home, where they took Zuko after they decided he just needed rest, and took his Avatar necklace off, holding the fire pendant in an effort to speak to Avatar Roku. His past life appeared before him.  
“I’m not like you, Roku.”  
“Aang, you are me.”  
“Yes, but to ask me to end your own great grandson!”  
“For the sake of the world!”  
“When you told me to contemplate the world what did you expect me to picture in my mind? A map? Some floaty cosmic energy? You know what I actually did see? Katara. And Sokka, and Toph. I saw the Kyoshi Warriors, the White Lotus Society, the monks who raised me, and I saw Zuko. I don’t know how to ‘contemplate the world’ without first thinking about the people I care about. Including Zuko.”  
“By refusing to take decisive action, you continue to put the world at risk.”  
“It’s a new kind of world. There is no getting around risk.”  
“Aang--”  
“Roku, you’ve taught me so much. I couldn’t have become the Avatar I am today without your wisdom. But everything’s so different now. It’s not like when you were alive. I have to figure this out on my own. Goodbye.”  
Roku reached out and yelled his name as Aang broke the meditation. He snapped the fire pendant off his chain and burned it in his hand. He looked solemnly down at the ashes. It seemed like it was a never ending series of goodbyes. It never got easier.  
“Aang! Guess who just got up!” Iroh called from down below. Aang hopped down from the roof, offered Iroh a thankful smile and headed inside. There sat Zuko, a green blanket wrapped around him like a shawl, sitting at the table with a cup of tea. Aang took a seat across from him.  
“I feel like I’ve been sleeping for a week,” Zuko half smiled.  
“No, it was only four days,” Aang chuckled.  
“Well, as long as it was only four days,” Zuko said wryly.  
“The Earth King’s asked to speak to--”  
“Can we please not do this right this second?” Zuko interrupted. “I’m sorry if that’s rude I just...need a bit of time.” Aang nodded his agreement. “I knew you wouldn’t let me die.”  
There was a moment of silence, and Aang took note that Iroh had given them their privacy.  
“I didn’t even know...If I’m being honest. I…” He looked away, then back to meet Zuko’s gaze, “Roku told me to end you.”  
Zuko closed his eyes for a moment, then looked back at Aang, urging him to go on.  
“It’s the type of thing I would’ve expected from Kyoshi, which is specifically why I didn’t ask her. It was unexpected and I...I just couldn’t. Maybe that makes me flawed, I don’t know.”  
Zuko shook his head, “You’re not flawed. Why can’t the struggle get easier for me? Even just a little? Sometimes, I wonder how long I’ll last.”  
“Hey, don’t say that. You know...you always have us. We haven’t turned our backs on you. I haven’t turned my back on you.” He reached his hand across the table, palm up.  
Zuko looked down at his hand and laid his palm over Aang’s.  
“...Thank you, Aang.”  
They shared some laughs and conversation after that, before Zuko was visibly falling asleep where he sat. During a particularly lengthy anecdote from Aang’s recent time in the Western Earth Kingdom, Zuko actually had fallen asleep. Aang just smiled to himself and picked Zuko up. He was shockingly light, as though in addition to not sleeping he also had not been eating. The thought of Zuko not taking care of himself to that extent deeply saddened and worried him. He carried him to a guest room in Iroh’s home and laid him on the bed. He sat beside Zuko for a moment, noticing that he’d grabbed a hold of his tunic. He moved to get up, but Zuko’s grip on his clothes merely got tighter. So...he stayed. He laid beside Zuko, watching his eyelashes flutter, before sleep made his eyelids grow heavier and heavier.  
“You’re not evil, Zuko.” He whispered into the dark. “Your heart is large and full of love for those who matter to you. You are human. Maybe people with human hearts aren’t meant to be in the positions we’re in. Love and humanity should not be viewed as weak.”  
He twirled the hair that fell in Zuko’s eyes around his finger. He stared through his ever closing eyes at the person he should not plausibly ever love, but yet somehow continues to find himself in that exact situation. He hoped Zuko would not be angered or perturbed upon waking, though he felt no choice but to stay. His heart felt drawn and attached to that very location. It always did. Not that specific bed in guest room number two at Iroh’s house in Ba Sing Se, but rather at the side of the beautiful soul laying next to him. In his arms. The way it was meant to be, and no one could convince him otherwise.

**Author's Note:**

> after this piece, this series will be far less based on canonical stories, though if you have any opinions either way i would love to know about it!


End file.
